How to make Mandarin and Chocolate Tonka Bean Cake

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1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Mark 4.
2. Sift 30g flour and 100g golden icing sugar into a bowl and add the ground almonds.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar to form a nice peak.
4. Fold in the dry ingredients then spread the mixture on a lined baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Now set aside and leave to cool.
5. To make the Tonka Bean Brulee: combine 150ml milk and 100ml single cream in a saucepan. Add the crushed Tonka beans. Gently heat the mixture but not to boiling point. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes then take the milk and cream mixture off the stove and pass through a sieve into a bowl.
6. In a separate bowl, add in the sugar and yolks and mix until pale. Return the milk, cream and Tonka mixture liquid to the heat and bring to the boil. Pour over the yolk mixture and mix well. Cook it until the mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon nicely.
7. Dissolve the gelatine in cold water and add to the mixture. Mix well. Take the final mix off the heat and pass through a sieve into a bowl.
8. Pour the mixture onto a cling film lined shallow dish and freeze.
9. To make the Mandarin Confit: Place the three mandarins into a pan of simmering water and boil for 10min. Drain any excess juices and leave to cool. Slice the fruits into little cubes and remove any seeds.
10. Coat a thick-based saucepan with the honey and cook the mandarins and honey together on a slow heat until the mixture is transformed to a kind of marmalade. Leave to cool.
11. To make the Chocolate Mousse: Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. In a seperate bowl, whip 250ml of double cream until it forms soft peaks.
12. Bring the syrup back to the boil.
13. Place 5 egg yolks in a mixer, whisk at high speed, and pour in the syrup. Continue whisking the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Leave to cool.
14. Stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolks mixture and fold in. Finally fold in the whipped cream.
15. To make the Chocolate Glaze: Melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie, add the butter and sugar.
16. Finally to construct the cake: Take the cooled Meringue base and slice off the top. Place in the tin and layer with marmalade. Next spread the Tonka bean brulee. The cling film will help to remove it whole from the dish. Now top with your chocolate mousse and place in the freezer to set. Once set use a kitchen blow torch to carefully remove the cake ring. Spread on the glaze and adorn with marmalade confit, chocolate slices and Tonka beans.

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